MOG Board Commitment Statement to DEAI

(Approved by Museum of Glass Board of Trustees in 2017)

Museum of Glass Board of Trustees are committed to developing an environment where individuals feel supported and listened to and are encouraged to do their personal best. As a museum with a global collection featuring glass artists from around the world, it is our mission and responsibility to ensure that our employees, trustees, interns and volunteers demonstrate cultural competence, and that our collections and programming reflect and respond to diverse needs, interests and cultures of our communities in the Puget Sound region, the state of Washington, and beyond.

Museum of Glass Board of Trustees is committed to the exploration of taking steps that support the development of a policy of inclusiveness, diversity, equity and accessibility. The goal of this new policy would be to ultimately translate it across all of the Museum’s operations, from hiring, recruitment, professional development, educational programming, exhibitions, visiting artists, events and the marketing of such. This policy, once adopted by Museum of Glass Board of Trustees, will align with the policies of the American Alliance of Museums from which we are accredited.

The Museum of Glass Board of Trustees will strive to incorporate within its own board operations, policies that strengthen diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion in all aspects of board membership and within the museum’s structure and programming, which we believe are vital to the future viability, relevance, and sustainability of museums.

Equity Statement

(Approved by Museum of Glass Board and Staff in July 2020)

Museum of Glass is committed to a future where diverse identities are celebrated, and equitable and inclusive practices are part of everything we do. MOG recognizes that we have work to do for our organization to actively represent diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) through our Board, staff, volunteers, Visiting Artists, partners, exhibitions, programs, and events. We are committed to an evolving journey and to having difficult conversations around the steps needed. The Museum is immediately dedicating internal resources to strengthen and expand our efforts. Through this ongoing process we will seek input, admit to mistakes, learn to better represent our communities, and expand access to the medium of glass.

Museum of Glass in the Community

Museum of Glass is deeply connected to the Puget Sound region, specifically Tacoma and Pierce County, and aims to serve the needs of its diverse communities through relevant and engaging programming.

The Museum offers many free-of-charge or reduced rate programs and initiatives. These include free student admission, free summer admission for military families, free “Third Thursday” evenings, free community days, free admission vouchers at local libraries, and reduced admission ($1/person, $2/family) for EBT cardholders.

Additionally, Museum of Glass partners with Tacoma Public Schools to offer its Science of Art curriculum to every 6th grader in the school district. This educational initiative includes the Museum’s educators in the classroom followed by a free visit where students learn in the Hot Shop, galleries, and education studio. Other programs include Low Vision Tours, Teen Docent and Curator opportunities, glassblowing classes for injured veterans and active-duty military through the Hot Shop Heroes program, and Junior Curator Academy, a curriculum offered in afterschool programs designed for youth that explores social context behind select art pieces.

Outside the Museum’s walls, the Mobile Hot Shop visits underserved neighborhoods like the East and South sides of Tacoma. Furthermore, glassblowing in our Hot Shop is livestreamed every day for visitors around the world to view for free.

The Museum aims for its galleries to be accessible to everyone, and one exhibition is always devoted to an underrepresented group to encourage a sense of belonging. Currently on view is She Bends: Redefining Neon Legacy, which highlights the importance of women and gender-expansive artists in the historically male-dominated medium’s history. The Museum is also showing Illuminate: Glass Art for Early Learners, engaging kids and families with art activation opportunities. And in October, the Museum will open A Two-Way Mirror: Double Consciousness in Contemporary Glass by Black Artists, exhibiting work that deconstructs social, cultural, gender, and racial identity concerns.

Through its diversity of programming and exhibitions, Museum of Glass is uniquely suited to serve and welcome everyone in its community and be a resource for those that need it most.

 Museum of Glass acknowledges and is grateful to be located on the traditional homelands of the Puyallup Tribe and Coast Salish peoples. The Puyallup people have lived on and stewarded these lands since the beginning of time and continue to do so today. We recognize that this land acknowledgement is one small step toward meaningful allyship and will continue to build inclusive and respectful partnerships to amplify the voices, experiences, and histories of these communities.